This Day In Sneaker History: LeBron James and “The Decision”

LeBron James’ “Decision” effected a multitude of things to say the least. The Decision, along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh’s choices to stay and head to Miami (respectively), shifted the power of the NBA from the West to the East again. It also became a consistent hangout spot for celebrities again and caused the lashing out of many NBA Hall of Famers including Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. So, how does “The Decision”, an instance that took place exactly a year ago, play a part in our “This Day In Sneaker History” column you ask? Additionally, LeBron James’ “Decision”, along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh’s choices, had a great effect on Nike, Jordan Brand and the sneaker community’s infatuation with the Miami Vice themed “South Beach” color scheme. Sure, we witnessed Miami Vice themed sneakers way before “The Decision” (Nike Air Max 95 “Miami Vice”); however, this scheme was undoubtedly revitalized after LeBron James’ choice to “take his talents to South Beach”.

It seems as if the “South Beach” Nike LeBron 8 opened the floodgates, and inspired us all to believe that this was the color scheme of the season. We witnessed (or will witness) the release of a number of Nike/Jordan Brand Miami Vice themed shoes such as the Jordan Fly Wade, the Nike Air Max Lunar and the Jordan CMFT 11 Viz Air, just to name a few. Not only did the sneaker community embrace the aforementioned releases, but many began to create their own version of “South Beach” sneakers in the form of customs, NikeiD creations and Bespokes. How much of an impact did “The Decision” have on the sneaker community? Take a look at the limitless amount of “South Beach” themed sneakers that were created by Nike, Jordan Brand and various enthusiast in the sneaker community.